Memorials Set Up - Part 1 of 2

The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder Lacerre Bradley Jr., pastor of the Cincinnati Primitive Baptist Church. O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise, The praise of my God and King, the triumph of his grace! This is Lacerre Bradley Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. Praise Him, O ye heaven of heavens, and He floods above the sky! Let them praise His gift, Jehovah, for His name alone is high! And His glory is exalted, and His glory is exalted, And His glory is exalted, far above the earth and sky! O ye fruitful trees and seers, O ye hills and mountains high, Creeping things and beasts and cattle, Birds that in the heavens fly! Kings of earth and only people, princes great as judges all, Praise His name, young men and majors, ancient men and children small! Let them praise His gift, Jehovah, for His name alone is high!

And His glory is exalted, and His glory is exalted, And His glory is exalted, far above the earth and sky! I'd like to be able to send you a sample copy of our publication, The Baptist's Witness. There are articles in it that I believe will be a blessing to you and help you in your study of God's word. Just request it when writing us at Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. We do depend on listener support to keep the program on the air, so if you can help us, we'll certainly be thankful for it.

That address again is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. In our messages from the book of Joshua, we reach the point that the children of Israel were coming across the river Jordan as God had rolled back the waters and made it possible for them to come across. And it's interesting to note the orderly movement of the people as the events unfold.

Think about this nation of people, no doubt well over a million people. So this includes men, women, children, baggage, tents, flocks, herds, and they're going to cross this river just thinking about what a challenge to have them all in place. Orderly, marching across, trusting God that indeed as he has rolled back the waters that they will be able to have safe passage. Joshua received his instruction from the Lord, he then instructed the priests, and they instructed the people, and the people obeyed. As you know from our recent studies in the book of Hosea that there came a time that God's people were not doing a very good job of obeying.

In fact, throughout the prophets of the Old Testament, we find that there was a word of rebuke frequently being delivered because of their departure and their failure to serve God as they ought, being intrigued by the false gods worshiped with the pagans around them. But at this juncture, the people are very receptive to do exactly what God has commanded the word being delivered through his servant Joshua. So let's look at chapter 4 of the book of Joshua, and we'll begin reading with verse 1. And it came to pass when all the people were clean past over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua saying, take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man. And command ye them saying, take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where ye shall lodge this night. Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel out of every tribe a man. Now it's interesting to note here when we're talking about the orderly arrangement with which things transpired, that it was determined there would be one man out of every tribe of the twelve tribes of Israel to bring a stone to set up this memorial.

So there was full cooperation. It wasn't a tribe that said, well we really don't want to cooperate. We don't think it's necessary to set up that kind of a memorial.

We're just not comfortable with that so we're going to just step back and not be a part of it. That kind of a spirit did not prevail. There were times indeed where the people were antagonistic and difficult even as they came through the wilderness they were often full of complaints. But at this juncture there is complete obedience, complete cooperation and so all of the twelve tribes have appointed a man that will come to participate in the setting up of this memorial. And Joshua said unto them, pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder. So it's going to be a large stone that they're transporting, large enough that it will be necessary for it to be put on the man's shoulder for him to be able to carry it according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel. That this may be a sign among you that when your children ask their fathers in time to come saying what mean ye by these stones then ye shall answer them that the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord when it passed over Jordan. The waters of Jordan were cut off and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel forever. The children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan as the Lord spake unto Joshua according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests which bear the ark of the covenant stood and they are there unto this day so at the time this scripture was written those stones were still there as a perpetual reminder of the great deliverance that God had wrought on their behalf. For the priests which bear the ark stood in the midst of Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded.

Just seeing the attitude of the priests who were appointed to carry the ark of the covenant which of course represented the very presence of God. And they were to stand in the midst of the river and you must recognize that it took a long time for a million people with their flocks and herds to pass through the river. So here they are standing having to stay in place they are not to move they didn't get impatient they didn't say is this really necessary or I'm wearing out I just don't think I got the strength to continue. They stayed in place until such time that everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to speak to the people. Surely there's a lesson there for us we sometimes grow weary yet the book of Galatians tells us that we're not to be weary in well doing.

Get to the point to say I don't know if I can stay in place that I can fill my role that I can do what's required of me that I can be diligent in carrying out the commands of the Lord. But these men set a great example because they continued standing there hour after hour as the people passed through this place into the promised land. According to all that Moses had commanded Joshua and the people hasted and passed over. Now the fact that it says they were moving with haste I don't think indicates that they were fearful because it was clearly evident that God had rolled back the waters and they were going to be secure. But they didn't want to be unmindful of the fact that the priests were having to stand there all this while and so they moved along they didn't hold back they were considerate of other people they hasted. And it came to pass when all the people were clean passed over that the ark of the Lord passed over and the priest in the presence of the people. So when they had all passed over then the priests were able to respond and do what was commanded of them and they could depart. Wasn't any lack of consideration for anybody that might have been slow moving.

There perhaps were those that were crippled and couldn't move with the same pace as others did. But they waited until the very last one had crossed and then according to the direction that was given them moved on to the other side of the river. What a blessing when we can see God's people receiving the commandments that were given to them through God's servant. And when we can see today God's people receiving into their heart the truth of God as is proclaimed from his word. The apostle noted in writing to the church of Thessalonica that he was thankful that they received the word which he preached for what it was the word of God.

They received it and they responded to it. They obeyed it. And so we can see then that these stones were set up 12 stones in the river and 12 stones on the bank of the river. Now some have thought that since there were 12 stones in the river that they would never be seen. But the fact is that the river was at flood stage and so when it receded to its normal place these stones probably would have been seen.

And so there are two memorials set up. First we consider the fact that they are set up to declare God's greatness. It says the Lord your God, this is verse 23 of the chapter, the Lord your God dried up the waters. It was the Lord that accomplished it.

It didn't come about by some human plan or some effort on man's part. It was the Lord himself that rolled back the waters of the river so that the people could safely cross. God always works in a way to bring glory to his name. He says in Isaiah chapter 42 and verse 8, I am the Lord that is my name and my glory I will not give to another neither my praise to graven images. So when God works he's going to work in such a way that it brings honor and glory to his name.

And he's not going to give that glory to another. He's not going to bless in such a way that man is going to be honored instead of giving the glory where it belongs to God himself. And as we come to the New Testament we find this same principle laid out very clearly for us. Look at the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 1.

Read beginning with verse 26. For ye see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound those things which are mighty. Now you can immediately say that this is contrary to the way man would ordinarily think. Man would think that God being a God of power and greatness would choose those that are strong and capable to carry out its work.

But if that were done those individuals themselves would receive the honor. So it has pleased God according to his sovereign pleasure to make choice of those things that are considered to be foolish by the world. Those things that are weak to confound the things which are mighty. And base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen. Yea things which are not to bring to naught things which are. I love that part of it and you see many examples of that in the Old Testament. Using things that are not. Just as on one occasion the Lord calls the army that was opposing Israel to hear a great noise.

And they were confused and frightened and on another occasion they were dismayed because of the loud thunder. And so God can use that which is not and bring it about to the glory of his name. Now what's the purpose of all this? That no flesh should glory in his presence. This is why God works this way. He's not going to give his glory to another. That no flesh should glory in his presence.

And then he goes on verse 30. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. That according as it is written he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord.

So first we see that God works this way in all of the things in which he is involved as he sovereignly rules over heaven and earth. That he's using that which is weak, that which is insignificant in the eyes of men that it might bring glory to his name. And then when it comes to the matter of salvation it says how is it that you're in Christ Jesus? It is of God. It is by his free and sovereign grace that you're in Christ. And he is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.

And the purpose of all of this again? It is written he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. So if you today believe that your soul has been saved you can only glory in the Lord.

You can't take any credit to it yourself. You're not saved because you were superior to somebody else. You're not saved because you performed enough good works to make it acceptable.

You're not saved because of your effort. It's not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy that he saved us. And the purpose once again is that no flesh should glory but he that glories let him glory in the Lord. So may we always be careful to give the honor and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the salvation which he has given us. Now the setting up of these stones not only was to be simply to declare the greatness of God and acknowledge that the deliverance had been wrought by his power.

But it was to be an ongoing reminder. The people were prone to forget and we would have to admit that we ourselves often forget things that we know very well and things that we should remember but we let them slip away from us. Many examples of how the people in olden times were forgetting the things that they should have remembered. Psalm 78 verse 10, they kept not the covenant of God and refused to walk in his law and forget his works and his wonders that he had showed them. God had blessed these people so abundantly, had brought them out from bondage in Egypt, had supplied their every need but they refused to walk in his law. In vivid contrast to the fact that when the law was given at Sinai they said yes, we will obey it, whatever God says we will do.

But it didn't hold up, they soon departed, they soon went the way of the world after the flesh. They forgot his works, how could they forget? All the mighty things God had done for them but they forgot, forgot the wonders that he had showed them. Another example of it is in Psalm 106 verse 12. Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt, they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies but provoked him at the sea, even the Red Sea.

Nevertheless, he saved them for his namesake that he might make his mighty power to be known. God did yet deliver them, not because they deserved it, they certainly didn't deserve it. They had failed in so many ways but God was merciful to them. Must we not all say today that the reason we are here, the reason we have the hope of eternal life is because he has been so merciful to us.

Over and over again his mercies are displayed. So they had forgotten the wonders that God had performed on their behalf in Egypt. They had forgotten about that great miracle of the rolling back of the waters of the Red Sea.

I'm sure it may have been somewhere back in their mind as a faint memory but the point is they were not living as though they remembered it. Their life was not in conformity to the law of God, they were turning aside. But he saved them for his namesake that he might make his mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red Sea also and it was dried up and he led them through the depths as through the wilderness. Verse 13, they soon forgot his works, they waited not for his counsel. After God dried up the Red Sea, brought them safely across, they soon forgot his deliverance, his blessing, his mercies and did not wait for his counsel. Moved ahead according to their own plans, according to their own desires and did not wait for the counsel of God. Is there a lesson there for us?

I think so. How many times have we been impatient? How many times maybe have we rushed ahead in matters not resorting to the counsel of God but moving according to our own desires and impulses? They waited not, they forgot his mighty works. Then in Jeremiah chapter 2 and the 32nd verse, the question is asked, can a maid forget her ornaments or a bride her attire?

Surely we would think not. That the bride would not forget her wedding gown, she would not forget this beautiful garment that was so special and hers for a special occasion. So it's considered they surely would not forget, yet my people have forgotten me days without number. My people have forgotten me not just a momentary slip up but days without number. They have forgotten me.

How convicting. If we look at those places along the journey of life when we've been so consumed with other things, so caught up with work projects, so caught up with projects around the house, so enamored with other interests. Yes, we didn't deny the Lord as far as saying I'm not going to pray anymore, I'm not going to go back to church, I'm not going to read the Bible. No, we weren't at that point. But we weren't mindful of God in every intricate detail of our life, in every decision that was made, in all that we were attempting to do. We were forgetting the fact that whatever is done, whether in words that we speak or in acts that we perform, all is to be done to His glory. Once again, Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 21, a voice was heard upon the high places weeping and supplications of the children of Israel for they have perverted their way and have forgotten the Lord their God. I read two or three of these passages just to emphasize the point that these who were the chosen people of God, highly favored of God, delivered of God, cared for, blessed and sustained in the most difficult of circumstances, they soon forgot.

They failed to honor Him and worship Him and do the things that He had enjoined them to do. Well, that concern for God's people being forgetful is not isolated in the Old Testament. We turn to the book of 2 Peter, a passage that we looked at in some detail not long ago. 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 9, after describing the things that are to be added to our faith, talks about the fact that you obtained the faith, it was the gift of God, God gave you the faith, but now you're to add to it.

You're to add to it virtue and kindness and love and all of these things which are a part of your spiritual development. But verse 9 says, but he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off and have forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. The person then that fails to grow in grace and add these things to his God given faith is blind.

He can't see afar off. And as incredible as it seems, he has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Reached such a place in such a state of confusion that he's not even mindful of the blessing of God's grace and the salvation of his soul and that his sins had been forgiven him. So you see there is a tendency in the weakness of human nature to forget the most important things, the things that ought to occupy our minds and hearts on a continuous basis. So since there is this tendency to forget, there are many admonitions to remember. Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 2, and thou shalt remember all the ways which the Lord thy God led thee these 40 years in the wilderness. To the Lord in advance knew obviously their weakness and he's reminding them to remember. Thou shalt remember the ways of the Lord thy God.

Do not forget them. And then in Psalm 111 verse 4, he hath made his wonderful works to be remembered. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. Surely as we go through the Old Testament and see those many displays of his power, we have to say yes, he has made his mighty works to be remembered. God performed these great works in such a way that they stand out as being far beyond the ability of man.

It's something that only the God who is omnipotent, who reigns in heaven could have accomplished and therefore made these wonderful works to be remembered and he wants us to remember them. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation. O my soul, praise him for he is thy health and salvation. All ye who bear now to his temple draw near. Join me in glad adoration. As we can see, there are many reminders in scripture to keep before us the truth of God's wonderful power, his greatness, his glory, his continued blessings that are poured out upon us. May we never forget.

Give him the honor that is due his name. I encourage you to write to us this week and until next week at the same time, may the Lord richly bless you all. What the Almighty can do, if with his love be befriend thee. Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee. Surely his goodness and mercy, here daily attend thee.

Ponder anew what the Almighty can do. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr., pastor of the Cincinnati Primitive Baptist Church. Address all mail to the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. That's the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. All that hath life and breath come now with praises before him. Let the Amen sound from his people again. Gladly for a we adore him.